An affectionate ode to screwball and silent film-era comedy,
“Lost in Paris” springs from the minds of Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon, a
Brussels-based husband-and-wife burlesque duo. Tackling writing, directing, and
starring duties, the pair turn a bittersweet romantic fable into an
irresistibly charming slapstick confection.
The film begins in a snowy mountain town in Canada, where
timid, middle-aged Fiona (played by Gordon) works as a librarian. One day she
receives a letter from her dear Aunt Martha (the late, French acting legend
Emmanuelle Riva), who left town decades prior and set out for the excitement of
city living in Paris. But now Martha needs Fiona’s help: at 88-years-old, she’s
being pressured to move into a nursing home. And despite emerging signs of
senility, the feisty former dance bristles at the idea that she can no longer
live on her own.
Fiona has always dreamed of seeing Paris, so she wastes
little time in strapping on her oversized red backpack — complete with flapping
Canadian flag on top — and heads overseas. Her travels go without a hitch, but
Fiona’s arrival in France immediately leads to a series of mishaps that’s
capped off by her tumbling head-over-heels into the Seine, losing her backpack
in the process. She eventually does get to Martha’s apartment, but finds that
her aunt has vanished.
Meanwhile, Fiona’s pack, along with her money and passport,
have fallen into the hands of an affably impish homeless man, Dom (Abel), who
makes his home in a small tent by the river. After a chance meeting at a
seaside restaurant, where the two engage in a delightfully awkward tango, Dom
finds himself irresistibly drawn to the sweetly bumbling Fiona. A playful tale
of love, pratfalls, and mistaken identities ensues.
Considering their history together, it’s no surprise that
Abel and Gordon have a lovely, prickly chemistry. Gordon’s gawky, Olive Oyl-esque physicality blends wonderfully with Abel’s
somewhat more graceful presence. The duo fill their tale with beautifully
staged physical comedy and deadpan sight gags, blending the sensibilities of
Chaplin, Jacques Tati, and Pierre Étaix. A bit late
in the film bit atop the Eiffel Tower even calls to mind the daring antics of
Harold Lloyd.
The humor is matched with a colorful visual style brought
vividly to life by cinematographers Claire Childeric
and Jean-Christophe Leforestier. With “Lost in
Paris,” Abel and Gordon don’t have any aspirations higher than bringing a smile
to their audience’s faces, and that proves to be more than enough. In this
case, getting lost is a pure pleasure.
This article appears in Jul 12-18, 2017.
